France Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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France Hotel
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 118 E. Court St., Paris, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Johnson, Miller & Miller |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001305 |
| Added to NRHP | August 3, 1987 |
The France Hotel is an old and important building located in Paris, Illinois. It was built in 1924 and has a special design style called Classical Revival. This building is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's officially recognized for its history and unique look.
History of the France Hotel
The France Hotel was built in 1924. It replaced the old Paris Hotel, which had burned down in 1918. What makes this hotel special is how it was built. Usually, private companies build hotels. But the France Hotel was sponsored by the Paris Chamber of Commerce. This group helps local businesses. Even more, the people living in Paris helped pay for it! This was very unusual for the time.
The Chamber of Commerce chose the spot for the hotel in 1922. They also picked the architect. But there were some delays in planning and building. By September 1923, the Chamber was almost out of money. The company building the hotel was ready to stop work if they didn't get paid. So, the people of Paris stepped up again! They raised $191,000 to finish the hotel. This showed how much the community wanted the hotel.
In the 1920s, Paris was a busy place. Three main train lines passed through the city. Paris was also the main town for Edgar County. This meant it was a center for government and business. Because of this, the France Hotel became a very important meeting spot. People from Edgar County and travelers passing through Paris used it often.
The France Hotel was known for being very modern. It had features that other hotels in Paris didn't. Each room had hot and cold running water. There was also an elevator, which was a big deal back then. Every room even had its own bathroom! The hotel also had many useful businesses inside. There was a barber shop and a beauty parlor. It also had a coffee shop, a large banquet hall, and private dining rooms. These services were used by both visitors and local people.
The France Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 3, 1987. Another important building, the Paris Elks Lodge No. 812 Building, was added at the same time. It is right next to the hotel.
Hotel Design and Architecture
The France Hotel was designed by architect Ewing Miller, Sr. He worked for a company called Johnson, Miller & Miller in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He designed the hotel in the Classical Revival style. This style often looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings.
The hotel is a four-story building. It is made of red brick. Many of its decorations use a light-colored stone called Bedford limestone. The main entrance is made of smooth limestone. Above the entrance, there is an arched stone decoration. It looks a bit like a fan.
On each side of the entrance, there are a pair of French doors. These doors have a wooden triangle shape above them, called a pediment. They also have stone arches. The floors above the entrance have rows of windows. There are six window sections on each upper floor. The two middle window sections are special. They have vertical lines of limestone around them. The windows on the third floor also have decorative stone pediments above them.
Above the windows on the fourth floor, there is a flat band called an architrave. On top of this, there is a brick design called a frieze. This frieze has round stone decorations called roundels. Above the frieze, there is a decorative ledge called a cornice. The roofline is flat and hidden by a low wall called a parapet. Stone urns, which look like large vases, sit on the corners and in the middle of the roofline.
